Seminole rejects 1 charter-school application, considers 2 others

A new, financially struggling private school in Longwood that hoped to get tax dollars by becoming a charter operation was rejected Tuesday by Seminole County school officials, who said state law would prohibit the change.

Princeton Preparatory Academy, one of three charter-school applicants considered Tuesday, opened last month and already is failing for lack of students and cash, said school President Hong Steele.

She asked the School Board to let Princeton, which has students in kindergarten through eighth grades, become a charter operation Jan. 1 to bring in more students — and at least $700,000 a year in state money.

But school district officials said it can't be done.

"Our position is a private school is not eligible for charter-school status," said School Board attorney Serita Beamon. "It appears that is what they are trying to do."

Steele said that was her intention. But state law does not permit the change, because otherwise thousands of private schools now financed by tuition could switch to charter operation and drain state funds.

School Board members said they were embarrassed for the Princeton Prep officials, who they said were ill prepared to explain how the school would operate or why it qualified to become a charter school. Board members also were concerned about what kind of education students are receiving.

"I pray for the success of the 40 students who are currently in your school," School Board Chairman Tina Calderone said.

School Board members were leery of Tuesday's other applicants as well, questioning whether any of the three would offer the innovation that taxpayer-financed, yet largely independent, charter schools are supposed to bring.

The board also considered a charter proposal from Florida Virtual Academy, a Volusia County group that was turned down by Seminole last year and is locked in an appeals-court battle over that decision.

The Orange, Volusia and Duval school districts also have taken Florida Virtual Academy to court to keep it from opening online schools serving kindergarten through 12th grades, with only Osceola and Palm Beach counties giving the go-ahead.

Florida Virtual Academy — which is separate from the statewide Florida Virtual School — would contract with K12 Inc., a national for-profit online education company, to run the Seminole operation. School district officials already contract with K12 to provide online education through the school system.

"These people don't just want to compete with us," School Board member Diane Bauer said. "They want to replace the program we have."

A group called East Orange Montessori School said it also wants to open a Seminole charter that would initially enroll 162 students in kindergarten through fifth grades. However, some officials questioned the sincerity of the proposal after one organizer said the group also has applied in Orange and Osceola counties but will open only one school.

"It is kind of along the lines of who says yes first," said William Orris, a member of the group's board of directors.

Only three charters operate in Seminole, whose public schools are among the highest-performing in the state. The School Board will decide Sept. 27 whether to approve the new charters, though it gave Princeton no hope.